Teams & Riders Cian Uijtdebroeks - From the wetlands to the top of cycling

[Rackham]

Yeah that’s true, but it’s not only his mind. Jumbo also thinks he’s their rider.

At one point just recently, Jumbo also thought Soudal Quick-Step & Evenepoel were going to be a part of their team as well. So I don't think they're best placed when it comes to a rational appraisal of separating dreams from reality.

The context is that Cian complained about his (lack of) windtunnel testing before the Vuelta, and the offer to go to California to test in the windtunnel came after Cian already 'decided' to leave Bora. Maybe the lack of wind tunnel testing before the Vuelta, in combination with Vlasov competing for GC positions, was what made Cian wanting to move teams.

Cian said in the Vuelta he was pushing the better numbers, but probably Vlasov has a better TT position and thus got approx. 1:30 in the TT on Cian, time Cian needed to defend his GC spot (which he lost with 7s to Vlasov). I'm pretty sure Cian thought he could have easily got those 7s if only Bora committed a bit more on his aero testing before the Vuelta / beginning of the season. If that's diva behaviour I don't know, but Cian clearly 'felt' he was entitled to have more support (read: investment by the team). I do think that he would have been better off to just swallow his pride / ambitions one more year but that's too late now.

It would be pretty inconsistent to go to California knowing you want to leave the team, no?

A 20 year old cyclist is never in a position to make such demands. It was his first GT, ever. He didn't even set the world on fire, did he? He has a lot to learn & improve on.

That shouldn't be a controversial viewpoint.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

First ever to sign with two teams.

Iván Sosa says hi.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Your obsession with me is getting creepy

You guys need to just get a room.

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

Starting to think that Uijtdebroeks and Jumbo-LAB really do deserve each other.

 

[joseph89]

The context is that Cian complained about his (lack of) windtunnel testing before the Vuelta, and the offer to go to California to test in the windtunnel came after Cian already 'decided' to leave Bora. Maybe the lack of wind tunnel testing before the Vuelta, in combination with Vlasov competing for GC positions, was what made Cian wanting to move teams.

Cian said in the Vuelta he was pushing the better numbers, but probably Vlasov has a better TT position and thus got approx. 1:30 in the TT on Cian, time Cian needed to defend his GC spot (which he lost with 7s to Vlasov). I'm pretty sure Cian thought he could have easily got those 7s if only Bora committed a bit more on his aero testing before the Vuelta / beginning of the season. If that's diva behaviour I don't know, but Cian clearly 'felt' he was entitled to have more support (read: investment by the team). I do think that he would have been better off to just swallow his pride / ambitions one more year but that's too late now.

It would be pretty inconsistent to go to California knowing you want to leave the team, no?

Actually he did windtunnel testing before the vuelta at the end of 2022 in California. How much windtunnel testing does he want.

He had the same amount of windtunnel testing as ilan van wilder and they both ride the same setup. So he can't blame it on the TT setup or windtunnel testing.

 

[yaco]

Obviously the best move is for bora to allow another team to buy his contract out and let him go for a reasonable fee. If they sit him while on the team it’s a bad look for the team itself. Cain sabotaging the team he’s on only sabotages himself

If another team isn’t willing to buy out the contract it says more about cian’s true value as an unproven talent.

Daniel Benson in his report claims that other teams were happy to pay out Cian's contract, however, Jumbo did not have the money to buy out the contract, hence Cian claiming Bora has breached his contract.

 

[scribers]

Is it possible this kid is just a complete head-case and we are in the beginning of one long dumpster fire?

 

[Berniece]

At one point just recently, Jumbo also thought Soudal Quick-Step & Evenepoel were going to be a part of their team as well. So I don't think they're best placed when it comes to a rational appraisal of separating dreams from reality.

Haha, that is also true. We’ll see what the UCI decides. But even if he has to stay at Bora, it’s going to be a weird season for him. What role is he going to get? The other riders probably don’t want to ride for him, staff won’t like him, he won’t be getting any extra’s.

 

[scribers]

I wonder if Cian will try to argue that Bora wasn't committed (enough) to e.g. do windtunnel tests, and will try to use his mechanicals (like in Chrono des nations) to argue the team weren't doing their part of the contract.

I know this may sound silly, but I just can't imagine what else he could throw in legal fight.

This is why I like hearing bruyneel speak about these matters as he understands the nature of contracts and often pinpoints the issues most journalists and guys like us barely scratch at.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Haha, that is also true. We’ll see what the UCI decides. But even if he has to stay at Bora, it’s going to be a weird season for him. What role is he going to get? The other riders probably don’t want to ride for him, staff won’t like him, he won’t be getting any extra’s.

Likely leadership at Giro.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Daniel Benson in his report claims that other teams were happy to pay out Cian's contract, however, Jumbo did not have the money to buy out the contract, hence Cian claiming Bora has breached his contract.

This approach sounds quite a lot like shop lifting. No wonder Jumbo wanted out.

 

[Aimar16]

The context is that Cian complained about his (lack of) windtunnel testing before the Vuelta, and the offer to go to California to test in the windtunnel came after Cian already 'decided' to leave Bora. Maybe the lack of wind tunnel testing before the Vuelta, in combination with Vlasov competing for GC positions, was what made Cian wanting to move teams.

Cian said in the Vuelta he was pushing the better numbers, but probably Vlasov has a better TT position and thus got approx. 1:30 in the TT on Cian, time Cian needed to defend his GC spot (which he lost with 7s to Vlasov). I'm pretty sure Cian thought he could have easily got those 7s if only Bora committed a bit more on his aero testing before the Vuelta / beginning of the season. If that's diva behaviour I don't know, but Cian clearly 'felt' he was entitled to have more support (read: investment by the team). I do think that he would have been better off to just swallow his pride / ambitions one more year but that's too late now.

It would be pretty inconsistent to go to California knowing you want to leave the team, no?

It is very strange behaviour to whine about 7th place, which literally has no value

 

[staubsauger]

Haha, that is also true. We’ll see what the UCI decides. But even if he has to stay at Bora, it’s going to be a weird season for him. What role is he going to get? The other riders probably don’t want to ride for him, staff won’t like him, he won’t be getting any extra’s.

Evgeni Berzin: Russian Roulette | Cyclingnews.com

A look back at the 1994 Giro d'Italia and the fallout with Gewiss

www.cyclingnews.com

2nd @ 1995 Giro d'Italia

 

[Hugh Januss]

It is very strange behaviour to whine about 7th place, which literally has no value

It has no value to a 27 year old who has been there before. It does have value to a 20 year old in his first GT.

 

[staubsauger]

It has no value to a 27 year old who has been there before. It does have value to a 20 year old in his first GT.

Especially since he was up there with the big cannons in the Pyrenees!

 

[CyclistAbi]

Uijtdebroeks training in blank kit as Bora-Hansgrohe seek €1 million buyout

Chris Froome pictures Belgian on training ride

www.cyclingnews.com

So i guess Bora is willing to let Cian go for a compensation. Now i guess it's up to Visma to buy Cian out of his contract or to wait another year.

On a bit unrelated note. So Froome and his team was on a training ride and Cian caught them and rode right past them? Considering the salary Froome has i feel that Bora is making a reasonable request. A million or wait another year. It's up to Visma now.

 

[theyoungest]

This approach sounds quite a lot like shop lifting. No wonder Jumbo wanted out.

It's just a ridiculous amount, if his annual salary was really just above 100,000 euros, a million euro buyout for one year remaining of his contract is of course way too much. That won't hold up in any court, unless it explicity says so in the contract. Visma aren't as rich as people always assume they are, but even if they were they'd be crazy to pay one million just because Bora feel like blackmailing their rider.

Interestingly, Wielerflits also says that Bora didn't pay the buyout money for Roglic either, Roglic arranged that himself (maybe with the help of Red Bull, I don't know). That makes their current stance even more ridiculous.

 

[Faserr]

The transfer fee can't be only about the salary. It should he about the value of the rider otherwise developing riders wouldn't make much sense for smaller teams.
It doesn't work like that in football for example.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@theyoungest

Maybe there is some room for negotiation. Or better Visma can always wait a year and sign Cian in 2025 season. For free.

P.S. But IMHO Cian should demand they pay something for him. As that shows commitment.

 

[Aimar16]

It has no value to a 27 year old who has been there before. It does have value to a 20 year old in his first GT.

There were probably only 10 guys who raced to finish at the highest possible place in the GC. To finish seventh or eighth out of 10 is almost irrelevant.

 

[theyoungest]

There were probably only 10 guys who raced to finish at the highest possible place in the GC. To finish seventh or eighth out of 10 is almost irrelevant.

Apparently it wasn't irrelevant to Vlasov

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It's just a ridiculous amount, if his annual salary was really just above 100,000 euros, a million euro buyout for one year remaining of his contract is of course way too much. That won't hold up in any court, unless it explicity says so in the contract. Visma aren't as rich as people always assume they are, but even if they were they'd be crazy to pay one million just because Bora feel like blackmailing their rider.

Interestingly, Wielerflits also says that Bora didn't pay the buyout money for Roglic either, Roglic arranged that himself (maybe with the help of Red Bull, I don't know). That makes their current stance even more ridiculous.

Idunno, this is an awful lot like football transfers where a player just basically throws a tantrum to make it so that their agent can force a transfer to who they want to go to. Making them more trouble than they're worth to their current employer so they can move them to the team that will give them more money. All too often we see a good player on a good team get interest from a Real Madrid or a Manchester City offering more money, and their current team says 'no' to the valuation, so the player starts sulking, causing trouble and being a huge distraction to the club until they cut bait and sell them just to be rid of the headache and focus on their game, and it seems like that's the transfer market Uitjebroeks is looking to for inspiration. Saying Bora are blackmailing the rider is kinda moot when the situation is an entirely avoidable one of the rider's making, and motivated out of pure greed.

It worked out fine for Iván Sosa and Lorena Wiebes, but in both of those instances the new contract had yet to come into force so it could be resolved, which is different from this case.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

There were probably only 10 guys who raced to finish at the highest possible place in the GC. To finish seventh or eighth out of 10 is almost irrelevant.

He didn't, he finished 5th. Second and third place quite demonstrably didn't race to finish at the highest possible place in the GC in that race, at least not after Twitter got upset at them.

 

[staubsauger]

WielerFlits certainly has got a mole at Jumbo.

If it's plot twist time again though, Adams just pays 1.5 Mio transfer fee and builds a Giro d'Italia squad around Uijtdebroeks with Riccitello as super domestique!

 

[scribers]

@theyoungest

Maybe there is some room for negotiation. Or better Visma can always wait a year and sign Cian in 2025 season. For free.

P.S. But IMHO Cian should demand they pay something for him. As that shows commitment.

His problem seems to be “demands”